Thank you for your interest in teaching at Berlitz in Germany

Are you familiar with Germany?

If not, click here for an introduction to Germany as well as some culture tips.

Visa Requirements

If you are an American, Canadian or other non-EU citizen, you need to have a permit to reside, and ultimately work in Germany. You can enter Germany with a three-month tourist visa and receive a restricted residency permit. At that time you can apply for a position and, if accepted, begin the process of obtaining permission to work as a freelance instructor. In most cases the visa applications are approved. The fee for obtaining a visa with permission to work as a free-lance instructor is about $40.

Although you may begin working once you have received your residence permit, you will need to go to the tax office (Finanzamt) in your city to get a tax number. By German law, a tax number is required in order to compensate free-lance employees.

Hiring Procedure

Once we have received your application, we will contact you regarding an interview. Interviews are held at the language center during regular office hours. If you reside outside of Germany, please inform us as to when you are planning to be in the country so that we can set up a personal interview at the center to which you are applying.

After successful completion of the interview process, you will be invited to attend the Berlitz Instructor Training. This will also be held at one of our language centers and is free of charge. You should have your residency permit before you begin the training. This will ensure that you can start teaching right after you complete the training.

Teaching Contracts

Berlitz in Germany offers freelance contracts to new instructors. Most of our classes take place in the morning or evening hours, Monday through Friday with lessons also taking place on Saturday mornings. Working hours are flexible and often change from week to week depending on customer requests and demand for lessons.

Taxes and Pension Plans

As a freelance instructor you are responsible for your own income taxes at the end of the year as well as your own social benefits and medical coverage. The German government also requires that freelance employees pay into the national pension plan if they stay in Germany for more than two years.

Getting Started

Our experience has shown that you will initially need to bring approximately €2,500 - €3,000 with you to budget for acquiring an apartment or similar accommodation, day-to-day living expenses and miscellaneous expenses that can be incurred until your first pay period. Once in Germany, you will also need to open a bank account to facilitate the transfer of monthly wages, payment of bills, etc.

Ready to Apply?

To apply to Berlitz Germany, please select the city you are interested in and send your resume/CV to the center.

Thank you very much for your interest in Berlitz Germany!